Half the World's Marine Life Lost in 40 Years: WWF
http://news.yahoo.com/half-worlds-marine-life-lost-071541842.html
By Lucy Draper
September 16, 2015
The global populations of some
marine mammals, fish, birds and reptiles have declined by almost 50
percent in just four decades, according to a new report published on
Wednesday by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in collaboration with the
Zoological Society of London.
In the 2015 Living Blue Planet
Report the WWF warns that the world's commercial fish stocks have been
significantly affected by overfishing, climate change and pollution, and
highlights that some of the most important species utilized by humans
have been hit the hardest. The fish family which includes tuna and
mackerel, for instance, has seen a decline of 74 percent between 1970
and 2010.
One in four species of sharks,
rays and skates are now at threat of extinction, a problem which is
again attributed to overfishing, while 29 percent of marine fisheries
are overfished, according to the report.
Aside from the coral reefs would cease to exist by 2050. Worldwide, mangroves decreased by 20 percent between 1980 and 2005.
The report addressed the problem of rubbish, and specifically
plastic, in the world's oceans. 8 million tons of plastic waste is
dumped every year into the oceans and it's estimated that there are
currently more than 5 trillion plastic pieces in the sea, collectively
weighing over 250,000 tons.
Writing in the introduction to
the report, Marco Lambertini, the director general of WWF International,
said it's obvious where to place the blame. "The picture is now clearer
than ever: humanity is collectively mismanaging the ocean to the brink
of collapse."
"The situation is urgent and the
moment to act is at hand," he continued. "...The pace of change in the
ocean tells us there's no time to waste. These changes are happening in
our lifetime. We can and we must correct course now."
However, Lambertini also highlighted the ocean's ability to recover
from its current situation if solutions are found quickly and key
habitats are protected. "The ocean has another great advantage. It is a
dynamic, interconnected global ecosystem that can bounce back relatively
quickly if the pressures are dealt with effectively."
Related Articles
